Spikers defeat Beloit after 4-1 play at invitational

Kampbell Hehr, shown in a match earlier this season, returned to the court last Tuesday night in the Chiefs 25-14, 25-18 and 25-15 victory over Beloit to improve the team’s record to 3-2 in conference and 18-12 overall. Hehr finished with three kills, seven assists and seven digs. (Bob Mischka photo)

By Dan Truttschel

Sports correspondent

The stat sheet after Tuesday night’s Rock Valley Conference matchup at Beloit Turner was a full one for the Big Foot girls volleyball squad.

And it was that team-wide effort that made things just a bit easier for the Chiefs.

Big Foot controlled the action from the start in a 25-14, 25-18, 25-15 victory to improve to 3-2 in the RVC and 18-12 overall.

“The team came ready to play, especially our middles, who were extremely effective in putting the ball down for kills,” Big Foot coach Caitlin Dowden said.

Dowden added that both Makenzie Trosclair (five kills) and Payton Courier (eight kills, two blocks) hit at a better than .700 clip for the night.

The match also signaled the return to the lineup for Kampbell Hehr, who finished with three kills, seven assists and seven digs.

Other Big Foot leaders included Reagan Courier (five kills, five aces, six digs), Lahni Palmer (four kills, two aces, three assists), Lauren Paulsen (two aces), Sophia Foster (16 digs) and Yesenia Gonzalez (12 digs).

The win Tuesday came on the heels of a strong 4-1 effort at Saturday’s Badger Invitational.

Big Foot posted victories over Badger (25-20, 8-25, 18-16), Williams Bay (25-15, 27-25), Green Bay Preble (27-25, 21-25, 16-14) and Jefferson (27-25, 23-25, 15-13). The Chiefs’ only setback came in a 17-25, 22-25 decision to Janesville Craig in the finals.

Dowden said the matches with Badger and Williams Bay always are fun to compete in because of the close proximity of all three schools.

“We don’t really see Badger and Williams Bay much during the season, but we do see them quite a bit throughout the summer,” she said. “Being that they know the girls well, it does add to the excitement for the match, and wins are always nice when you are playing tough teams and (schools) that are bigger than you.”

Big Foot returned to RVC action Thursday against visiting McFarland, and have a road matchup Tuesday at Edgerton.

The keys remain the same, Dowden said.

“We need to focus on Big Foot volleyball,” she said. “We need to play our game and focus on our side of the court.”

 

Chiefs fall in five

Big Foot opened its week last Thursday with a hard-fought 15-25, 25-21, 12-25, 25-21, 14-16 setback to visiting Jefferson.

That one was a back-and-forth affair from the start, Dowden said.

“Jefferson was an extremely tough match that could have easily gone either way as we proved on Saturday (with the win at the Badger Invitational),” she said. “They are a solid team, and we struggled to serve-receive a bit Thursday night and keep the ball in play while serving.”

Abby Peterson had a big night for the Chiefs, as she tallied 10 kills, four aces, three blocks and 25 digs.

“Abby is a player who is all over the court,” Dowden said. “She can come out of nowhere to pick up a ball, and the next thing you know, she is putting it down defensively. She brings a lot of energy and drive to the court. She has a give-it-your-all mentality all the time.”

Other leaders were Payton Courier (nine kills, six blocks), Reagan Courier (seven kills, four aces, 10 digs), Foster (33 digs) and Gonzalez (25 digs).

Comments are closed.